Convertible stock car



Jan. 12 1926.

R. c. cHlsAM CONVERTIBLE STOCK SKR Filed March 25, 1925 `2 Sheets-5heot 1 RAY c'. His/IM.

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Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES RAY C. CHISAM, OF THE DAILIES, OREGON.

CONVERTIBLE STOCK CAR.

Application filed March 25, 1925. Serial No. 18,094.

To all whom t may concern.'

Beit hereby known that I, RAY C. CHIsAM a citizen of theUnited States, andra resident of rlhe Dalles, in the county of VVasco and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Convertible Stock Car, of which the following-is a specification.

This invention relates generally to roll-V ing stock such as is employed on railroads, and particularly to stock cars adapted to be converted into single or double deck cars.

The first object of this invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and eicient form of vconvertible stock car. y y

The second object is to so construct the convertible portion of the car that. its cost will not be prohibitive and that itis easily operable by two men.

The third object is to so construct same that the upper deck cannot possibly be lowered instantaneously or dropped, but must be lowered manually.

The fourth object is to so construct saine that no additional weight is imposed upon the upper portion of the stock car, which, owing to its nature, is already of comparatively flimsy construction.

The fifth object is to so construct the device that the operation of its working parts is not in any way affected by distortion of the car frame.

The sixth object is to construct the device in two sections for the purpose of adding to the ease of operation for a small crew, and at the same time facilitate installation and repairs.

The seventh object in providing a practical form of convertible stock car is to reduce the amount of rolling stock required by a road to accommodate seasonal and sectional demands.

These, and other objects, will become more apparent from the specification following as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a stock car extending beyond the side door. Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 2 2 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 3 3 in Figure 1, but showing the upper deck in a lowered position.

Similar numbers of reference refer to the same parts throughout the views.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in

order to illustrate the device there is indicated lthe usual form of side frames and cross ties 11 of a freight car provided with the usual deck 12 and wheels 13, as well as the angle iron corner posts 14, T iron side posts 15, door frames 16 and sloping angle iron braces 17. The usual form-of roof 18 is supported by the plates 19 around which is placed a facia board 20. Spaced slats 21 are provided for the sides of the car.

Turning now to the device itself it will be seen to consist of an upper deck 22 supported by the channel irons 23 secured to the upper deck frames 24 by means Vof the clips 25. 'The deck 22 is divided into two portions whose ends 26 almost touch in the middle of the car, sufficient clearance being allowed to permit easy operation.

To each of the longer sides of each of the upperV decks 22 is attached the chains 27 by fastening same to the frames 24 in any convenient manner. The chains 27 then pass upwardly around the sheaves 28, which are mountedbon therbrackets 29 on top of the rails 30, between the posts and the auxiliary posts 31. The chains 27 then pass downwardly and fasten to the spirally grooved drums 32 on the shafts 33 and 34, which are supported by the bearings 35.

Transverse shafts 36, sup orted by the bearings 37 which Vhang rom the side frames 10, are provided near their ends with the worms-38 and 39 and at their eXtreme ends `with the ratchet wheels 40 adapted to be rotated in either direction by the pawls 41 on the arms 42, into which may be inserted a crowbar 43 or a suitablerod.` The worm wheels 44, which are secured on the inner ends of each of the shafts'BB and 34, mesh with the worms 38 and 89 on the shafts 36.

Along the sides of the car and at convenient intervals are .placed the supporting posts 45 for the upper decks 22. These posts are preferably secured to the deck 12 by means of the bolts 46, which are loose enough to permit the posts to swing transversely with the car as far as permitted by the chains 47, which pass through some of the slats 21 and are provided on their outer ends with the rings 48 to limit the amount that they may swing. Hooks 49 are also provided in the slats 21 through which the chains 47 pass in positions which will make it possible to hold the posts 45 against the ii il it is desired to convert this car into a double deck stock car, itis only necessary .for the operator yto insert the banfi. into. an .arm 42 vand by apumping .action throughk ,the ratchet wheels 40, the wvorms 38 and 39 and the worm wheelsi` wind. the chains QZlupon their respective drums, thereby causing one half of the upper deck, ,or the portionofj the upper deck which extends from oneend to the middle Aof the car, to rise uniformly until its lowermost portion y is .above the upper ends of the postsl, which'. y,have been previously released from ltheiho'oks i9,- As soon as the upper deck clearslthese posts they.V will swing, .or can ,easily be pulled;

i into theposition shown in Figure 2,5 after which'. the ratchet isv reversedv aiidfthe" weight of this section of the upper deckI is Vper.: mitted to rest.upon the p osts rather than upon the chains. lThis' operation is IioW repeatedfor `the othergend ofv the car.l f

It will be understood, of course, that ifV two men are avail-able' they can work at opposite ends yof the .shafts 36,01 they may be raising bothfenidsfof the' upper deck vat? the saine time, depending uponthe degree of haste being made and the choice ofthe operator. f

It is evident thatJ by this arrangement of partsit is impossible to drop'a deck ,er to endanger the 'lives of anyone who"mightl be around` saine, since itis npt'p'oss'ibleto'd these decks ndownwardly ata speed" would make it impossible f "ranyfne under same/to' escape. l f 2 ,j

.It is Aalso evident that the Working parts are 'all underslii'rigand ddi'wtnterfere' iin' any Wayl with the laddersforsafety" appliI ances now existing. "can alsdbe seen that it is vnotrpossible .t9 'LDvfv/er` portion ofa deck unit at aidiffereiit'speedfromfany other portion since a Whole'dec'k .un it"'i`s" driven from the same source. y

"Devices of many 'differentfkindsemploying ymovable" upper ldecks liaverbeerrfcit structed in the past, majority ofwvhich raise the upper deck upwardly when notfinl use and store same imn'iediaitelV'under the roof 18. This system'liastwo disadyantages which have been overcome by. this device. The* first `is the greater diliicultyin .clfeai'i-v ing, andl the second 'is the'"rmore serious difficulty presentedxby adding avery consid-l erable .weight to theupper' portion' Lof v the stock car, which, as.` preyiously intimated,I is normally'of a very .light construction`;`

thereby adding greatly to the strains to which these cars are subjected in transit, especially Vwhen ftaking 'curves' and during the starting and stopping` of the trains of which these cars form a part.

'I-t isl-alrnattei off'common knowledge that the railroad of today is struggling for its very existence. A considerable portion of the expense of modern railroads lies in the amount'of rolling stock which must stand on sidings a large portion of the year, durL ing vwhich timey it feeds upon the resources ofitheirailroad a'sanV idle investment which is rapidly deteriorating; f IStil-l another factor .which this device eliminates,.isy the necessity'of long-'hauls for certain types of stock cars, say, for instance,

a single deck car to a point atwhich a 'ninnber .of double .deckzcars may be lying on .a siding'for the. reverse condition#owing to the fact fthat there todayseemsto be no practical form 'of'convertible-stock car.

4 .In the construction ofthis .devicey there has been borne. in mind notr only"tl,ie necessity of having a convertible car, but also the importantv factors which render the use of this" type of device practical on our modern railroad systems."

As previously stated, Amany vattempts have been made 3to Yconstruct a-p'racticalformlof convertible car, .typical fornisfof vwhich v'are disclosed in Patents No5'1,166,500,2602995 265,427, 1,081,588., .8235983.44t91i9, ,380x125 and 29,409 ,which4 have thus far not found theirfway" into use'in railroad stock car building.k I 'amtherefore not claiming this device broadly, butl do intend' to coverjscliiy forms and modiii'ca'tionso'f my, device las fall fairly.` within the appended claiins.v

TIAc'laimz ll l. T' a convertible stock car, the 4combination cfa-stockcar; a-.centrally'di-yided p endeck normallyresting on said lower deck sheaves' mountedfin` the sides' yof, 4said car; ,chains 4 passing over said sheaves through the" Car sides the inner endsof which fasten to ySaidupper deck; a loing-itudinal shaftiinder'eachlfcar side flfl-lwand under eaclisecft'ion of the j'up'per'deck'havingl the outer endjof said-chains" 'wound thereon ;l a 'worm wheel on `e`ach"o`f said; longitiudinl'v shafts; a tlansverser shaft under's'aidjfearg' wOfFiIIS .OllS'aidtransversefslaft meshing with Said worm wheel gfreversilole' rathe'ts on said, transi'ferse' shafts; and'meansfor support` ing said upper decks on said' 'lower 'decks in` dpiendently of'sai'd l'chains or 'car sides'.

Ina conve'rt'iblefstockcar,the combinationofa Vstockfoar; an upper deck dividedjin the Amiddle of: its length and-4 noriirally iresting on the deck of vsa'id'jcar; ia pair ofY sheaves mounted in the side offsaid car above the raisedposition 'ofsaid4 upper "deck 'along each 'side of each section thereof;` a' chain passingover ea'cli sheave having its inner end fastened to its section of u er deck; a longitudinal shaft under each s1 e of each upper deck section mounted under the car frame; drums mounted on said shaft on which are Wound the outer ends of said chains; a Worm Wheel 0n each longitudinal shaft; a transverse shaft under said car; Worms on said transverse shaft meshing with said Worm Wheels; ratchet Wheels on said transverse shaft for rotating said Worm shaft in either direction; supports for said upper deck sections, each of which consists of an upright post loosely attached to the main deck of said car and having a recess formed in its upper end adapted to receive the frame of the upper deck and having a stay chain attached thereto passing through the side slats of the car, each of said chains having a stop ring formed onthe outer end thereof adapted to limit the inward swing of its post; and hook means on said slats to which said rings may be attached in a manner to hold said posts outwardly against the sides of said car.

RAY C. CHISAM. 

